Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security

Nicaragua, Intelligence and Security

Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821, and became a republic in
1838. Late-twentieth-century politics in the region have been marked by
violence and turmoil. A brief civil war in 1979 ushered the Marxist
Sandinistas to power. Cold War politics, and Sandinista military aid to
other leftist rebel groups in the region, prompted the United States to
assist anti-Sandinista, contra forces. By the end of 1989, the Sandinistas
had lost control of much of Nicaragua, but not before continued violence,
rampant corruption, and the actions of secret police forces had devastated
the nation.

Domestic intelligence is the responsibility of the Directorate of
Intelligence Affairs (DAI). The DAI does conduct limited foreign
intelligence operations and processes most of the information gathered by
other Nicaraguan intelligence forces. The chief officers of the DAI, as
well as members of the Ministry of the Interior, act as a liaison between
the intelligence community and the government executive. The relationship
between the intelligence community and the government is somewhat
ambiguous, with no formal means of accountability or a standardized
oversight process. Even following the recent democratic elections, the DAI
has come under increasing scrutiny for political espionage activities.

Nicaragua's main military intelligence agency is the Directorate of
Military Intelligence. the agency coordinates military and foreign
intelligence operations, but also conducts surveillance of paramilitary
and opposition groups in the region. The routine operations of the
Directorate of Military Intelligence remain largely unknown, but the
organization has close ties to political officials and the civilian
intelligence community.

Nicaraguan free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001 ousted the Sandinistas
from power, but economic and political recovery has been difficult. Drug
trafficking and corruption remain endemic problems, and years of guerrilla
fighting have left many Nicaraguans with a deep distrust of the
government, military, and other security forces.

Nicaragua is a member of the United Nations (UN) and several other Central
and Latin American defense and economic organizations. The government has
joined international efforts to stem drug trafficking, combat illegal arms
sales, and fight global terrorism.